Can tops



E. D. FREEMAN Oct. 4, 1955 CAN TOPS Filed Jan. 26, 1951 mi l" CAN TOPS Erle D. lh'eemau,A Oakland, Calif.; Olive Freeman, also known as Olive Freeman Hannon, administratrix of said ErleD.- Freeman, deceased Application January 26, 1951, Serial No. 207,993. 1 Claim. (Cl. 2201-53) This invention relates to" metal cans?, and more particularly to improved can top structure providing easy removal of a portion ofthe can top for access to the contents thereof.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved` top structure for metal cans which provides means Yfor readily opening the can Without the use of tools or implements, which is easy toY fabricate, and which involves no basic modification in the design and manufacture of the can.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved top structure for metal cans which involves simple components arranged in a novel manner providing easy access to the contents of the can without the use of a can opener or key, the improved structure being applicable to a Wide range of different types of metal cans, and the cost of manufacture of the cans being only very slightly affected by thevuse of the improved top structure of the present invention.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a metal can provided with an improved top structure according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, detail view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view similar to Figure 1, but showing the cover of the can in partly-removed position;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a metal can provided with a modified form of top structure according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a metal can showing a still further modification of the improved top structure of the present invention;

Figure 7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, detail view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary, bottom plan, detail View of theperipheral portion of the cover element of the can of Figure l;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a metal coffee can provided with a sealing band constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures l to 4, 11 designates a cylindrical metal can, such as a can employed for containing food or other perishable products. The can 11 is provided with a top 12 which is formed with a large, circular aperture 13. Designated at 14 is a circular cover formed of a plurality of superimposed, thin, metal, laminar sheets 15 joined together at their peripheral portions by an annular layer of solder 16 disposed between the liminations 15, 15, as shown in Figure 3. A layer of solder 17 is provided around the periphery of the bottom surface of the cover element 14, as shown in Figure 8, and the cover element 14 is fused to the top 12 around the margin of the opening 13- by means' of the layer of solder 17. The cover 14 is p'rovided with an upstanding finger-engaging tab 18 compris ing respective superimposed, upstanjding extensions of the laminationsY 15, designated at 19. v

The sealing layer of solder 17 is relatively narrow, and the solder is relatively soft, whereby the cover 14 may be readily stripped from the top 12 of the can by grasping the finger tab 18 and pulling upwardly thereon. By the use of the thin laminar layers 15, the cover 14 is quite flexible and may be readily bent rearwardly, as shown in` Figure 5, whereby the cover 14 may be quickly stripped fromv the top 12 by exerting a pull on the tab 18 directed? toward .the left, as viewed in Figure 4. It will be understood that the first step in opening the can isto exert an. upward pull on the tab 18, thereby stripping the portion of cover 14 from the wall 12 at the region adjacent the tab 18. The cover 14 may then be flexed to abent position', such as that shown in Figure 4, whereby'the remaining portion of the cover may be quickly stripped from the can top 12. In view of the flexibility of the cover 14, said cover is easy to manipulate manually wit-hout the use of tools, and may be readily removed from` the can in a safe and convenient manner.v

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5, the can is designated at 11 and is formed with a sectorshaped opening 13 which is sealed by the generally sector-shaped, removable cover element 14 positioned as shown in Figure 5. The cover 14 comprises a plurality of superimposed, thin, flexible, metal laminations which are joined together at their marginal portions in the manner described in connection with the cover 14, the vertex 0f the sector-shaped cover member 14' being provided with an upstanding tab 18 comprising superimposed extensions of the respective laminations of the cover member. The cover 14 is yieldably secured to the top of the can 11 by a sealing layer of strippable solder, as in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4. To remove the cover 14', it is merely necessary to grasp the tab 18' and exert an upward force thereon, stripping the cover 14 from the can top in the same manner as described in connection with Figures 1 to 4.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6, the can is designated generally at 21 and is formed in its top wall 22 with two diametrically opposed openings on which are yieldably secured laminated, sector-shaped cover elements 23, 23 which are generally similar in structure to the cover element 14' of Figure 5, and which are in sealing relationship with respect to the opposed openings in the can top 22, overlying said openings and being secured to the marginal portions thereof by a strippable layer of solder, similar to the solder layer 17 of the modification of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4. The sector-shaped cover elements 23 are provided with tab elements 24 at their vertex portions, said tab elements comprising extensions of the respective laminations forming the cover elements. The cover elements 23 are removed from the can top in the same manner as the cover element 14 in Figure 5, namely, by grasping the tabs 24 and exerting upward and outward force thereon, to thereby strip the cover elements from the can top.

As shown in Figure 7, the cover elements 23 may comprise three superimposed laminations 26 which are joined by peripheral layers of solder 27, and the tab elements comprise superimposed extensions 28 of the respective layers 26. In Figure 7 a bottom sealing layer of solder is shown at 29, and the opening in the can top 22 is shown at 30.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 9, 31 designates a cylindrical, metal can of the type employed for coffee and similar food products, said can having a top cover 32 which is sealingly connected to the main body of the can by a removable strip 33. In accordance with the present invention, strip 33 comprises a plurality of superimposed, thin, flexible band elements which are joined at their margins by layers of solder, as in the case of cover 14 and the cover elements 14 and 23, described in the previous modifications of the invention, the bands being sealingly secured to the respective adjacent elements 32 and 31 by respective strippable layers of solder between the innermost metal laminations and the adjacent margins of elements 32 and 31. The end of the band 33 is provided with a tab 34 comprising superimposed eX- tensions of the thin metal laminations forming the band 33, the tab 34 extending outwardly and being easily grasped by the lingers of the hand. To remove the band 33, it is merely necessary to grasp the tab 34 and to pull outwardly thereon, whereby the exible connecting band 33 may be readily stripped from the can, disconnecting the top cover 32 from the main body of the can and allowing the top cover to be removed.

While certain specific embodiments of can top structure have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it Will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a metal can, a wall member formed with an opening,

4 a exible cover element formed of a plurality of superimposed thin metal .laminar sheets overlying said opening, means sealingly and yieldably securing the marginal portion of said cover element to said wall member around said opening, said means comprising a frangible layer of solder disposed between the marginal portion of said cover element and said wall member and fuse-d to said wall member around said opening, said thin metal laminar v sheets being identical in shape and being provided between their marginal portions only With respective narrow, thin layers of solder for securing the laminar sheets in superimposed relationship at their marginal portions while allowing free iiexure of the inner portions of said laminar sheets, and an upstanding tab member at the edge of said cover element, said tab member comprising superimposed extensions o sai-d laminar sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,183 Fitzgerald Jan. 3, 1893 546,078 Pierce Sept. 10, 1895 1,789,788 Sundquist Ian. 20, 1931 2,147,004 Wark et al Feb. 14, 1939 2,261,117 Jack, Jr. Nov. 4, 1941 2,276,577 Hahn Mar. 17, 1942 2,340,651 Denison Feb. 1, 1944 

